Best Website Design Trends to Follow in 2017

With new advances in digital technology happening all the time, the needs and habits of website visitors are constantly changing. To accommodate these changes, new website design and website development trends are emerging daily, also transforming the way online businesses are run. Naturally, every online business must adapt its digital marketing strategy in order to remain successful and stay on top of the game.

As in everyday life, making a good first impression online is equally important. Online, you are communicating with your prospective customers through your website. The problem is, however, that the attention span of Internet users is getting shorter by the day. Unless your website is attractive and aesthetically appealing, visitors will leave and move on to the next one.

Implementing the latest website development trends makes it possible to design a website that will hold users’ attention for those crucial first few seconds. Still, it’s important not to sacrifice usability and high-quality content just for the sake of appearance. A website has to look good and at the same time be efficient in providing visitors with what they came for.

In 2017, the minimalist approach to website design is still very popular, combined with easy navigation, microinteractions, authentic photography, and bold typography.

Mobile-Friendly Websites

Due to the constant increase of users accessing the web through mobile devices, having a mobile friendly website is a must. If your goal is to build a strong online presence for your business, it’s essential to include a mobile strategy in your digital marketing plan.

Creating a website that is mobile friendly will improve your search engine rankings, appeal to a larger demographic, and generate more visits.

Without a mobile-friendly website, you risk losing many potential clients who have replaced computer and laptops with smartphones and tablets. Bear in mind that more and more people are using hand-held devices for finding information and online shopping, avoiding websites that cannot provide them with the ultimate mobile-friendly experience.

Microinteractions

Microinteractions are tiny details that we use all the time but don’t pay much attention to, like setting a status message, rating a song or liking a Facebook post. They are integral to social media platforms. Microinteractions can be quite useful to different kinds of websites, as they enhance interaction and help users navigate sites intuitively.

Incorporating them into website design will make your site more interesting and dynamic. More importantly, it will encourage visitors to keep coming back.

Visual Elements of Website Design, More Authenticity

For most users, the visual aspect of a website is the deciding factor in whether they will stay on a page or exit the website. This shouldn’t be too surprising – websites are a visual media above all.

However, it’s not enough just to show the product or services using generic images. Consumers desire more. They desire authenticity. They want to be able to imagine themselves using the product or service. They’re interested in every detail. People basically want pictures they can relate to instead of generic images or plain text. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, is it not?

Investing in high quality, authentic pictures will certainly help your online business in the long run, as people will be able to relate to your company or product more easily. This will allow them to picture how your product or service can improve their lives, which is an important factor in building brand loyalty.

Videos have also gained popularity in recent years. More and more websites are incorporating Cinemagraphs (high-quality videos or GIFs) into their design in order to convey their messages more clearly. This can also help you nurture your relationship with your customers.

You can show them how your product or service works, introduce them to your staff and share behind-the-scenes clips. All of this contributes to developing trust and turning potential buyers into regular customers.

Minimalistic Web Design: Less is Still More

Navigation is an integral part of web design. It may sound cliché, but how you approach navigation can make or break a site. Site visitors want a simplistic and visually explanatory web design that can help them quickly find what they are looking for.

Another thing to keep in mind is that websites tend to collect a lot of content over time. Cluttered websites with complicated navigation are not just outdated, they can severely harm an online business. The easier it is for people to use and navigate a site, the longer they are likely to stay.

Navigation should be intuitive, even for complete Internet novices. Instead of hamburger menus, it is smart to opt for long scrolling websites. Scrolling is much easier than clicking on numerous tabs and having to remember where a specific piece of content is located. The main focus of a minimalist design is to keep menus to a minimum by hiding features. This makes it easier for users to focus on one thing at a time.

Some websites use cards for organizing content too. Cards are entry points which provide concise information and pique readers’ interest. Observe them as a doorway to more information. This is a great advantage for websites, as they can now have diverse content while saving space.

Breaking up long pages with images or videos can add some dynamic to the overall user experience. You can also use typography to keep visitors’ attention – the new trend in website design is bigger and bolder typography.

Creating Your Digital Marketing Strategy

These are just some of the website development trends that are popular now. Chances are that they will continue to be popular in the future as well.

When coming up with ideas how to improve your site, remember that it is not necessary to incorporate all these features in your website. Think about the purpose and goals you’re trying to achieve so that you could create the best web development strategy to fit the needs of your online business.

Before jumping to the visual and structural aspects of the website design process, it is wise to define your target audience. What you should do first is get to know your user base in order to introduce changes to your website that will be useful to them. Once you identify the habits of your potential users, you can proceed to the next phase of website development.

Besides being attractive, a website has to be functional and easy to use. Also, every element has to have a clear purpose. Grabbing users’ attention is important, but keeping them interested is what web design has always been about.

Building a brand takes time. For the success of any type of online business, you have to know what users want and develop a digital marketing strategy that can best define your brand. Investing time and resources in conveying your unique message to others through website design and website development is an effort that certainly pays off.